Haus-hold Picture Book Review: Butt or Face?

A Giggle-Filled Guessing Game!

Do you have a child like mine, who loves animals and potty humor? Then this is the book for you. My little kid and I recently brought this book home from the library, and when my big kid came home from school he started sorting through the books like he usually does, placing them in a reading order for later. When he reached this title, he immediately started laughing, showed me the cover and said, "Seriously? I'm reading THIS first!"

I've noticed that as he gets older, he grows more and more interested in nonfiction and doesn't have as much of a desire for fiction. These days, encouraging him to read at all can be a challenge unless he's immersed in high-interest topics. Even his love for animal books is starting to dwindle as he encounters the same facts over and over again. So this book was perfect, because it offered a fresh perspective and made him laugh!

Kari Lavelle's playful language, interesting facts, and exciting page turns made this book a win in our house.

While the word "butt" is in the title and animal rear-ends are a major component of the book, this isn't "potty humor". The book addresses the importance of the animals' backsides as tools for survival!

Synopsis

Animals are equipped with all sorts of amazing traits to help them survive in the wild. Patterns and markings, senses and instincts, and yes, even faces and butts, are all important survival tools! Guess whether you're looking at a butt or a face as you read about unique creatures like okapis, turtle ants, and Mary River turtles!

My Big Kid’s Honest Review:

What my Kids Loved: Look at the cover. It's very clearly a butt with googly eyes added to it. The cover alone had my kids laughing. While reading, they loved guessing which end they were looking at and learning about the special traits of the different animals- many of which my oldest had never heard of before. The text was short enough to keep them engaged, but long enough to teach them something new. My oldest also loved the fun glossary at the end, which includes where the animals are found and what they eat.

What I Loved: As both a mom and a writer, I really appreciated the page turns and punny humor. While the word "butt" is in the title and animal rear-ends are a major component of the book, this isn't "potty humor". The book addresses the importance of the animals' backsides as tools for survival! I thought this was cleverly done and kept the giggles coming without being over-the-top. A book that teaches my kids something new, keeps them reading independently, AND makes them laugh? Yep, it's love.

My favorite lines:

"That mohawk look isn't from a punk rock lifestyle, but from the algae of the Mary River. Turtle-y awesome, dude!"

Final thoughts: Older kids will love it. Even if you have a little one like mine who may not get through all the text, you can still have tons of fun guessing which end you're looking at and reading the facts that are conveniently highlighted in the text features. This book is a great non-fiction resource on animal traits for bigs and littles alike.

You can request a copy of Butt or Face? from your local library, or purchase from Sourcebooks Explore or from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other retailers. Just don't forget to check your local independent bookstore first!